But Culinan's confidence was met with defiance in the eyes of the man in the gray mask.
What a joke, as a martial artist, wasn't he just a paper tiger without his inner strength?
The man in the gray mask let out a disdainful cold laugh. Without personally intervening, he nodded to a man in gray beside him.
The latter, with a strange smile, put away his gun and drew a short knife from his lower back.
For an inner strength master of his level to die by the hands of an ordinary person would be an extreme humiliation for anyone. But for this ordinary person, it was a great pleasure!
After all, not everyone could accomplish such a feat! If he truly succeeded, he could probably brag about it for a lifetime!
The man in the gray mask's intentions were also obvious: he wanted to humiliate Culinan!
However, to his surprise, Culinan showed no reaction, not even a frown. He simply stared calmly at the subordinate who was slowly approaching with the knife.
"I hate that look. Cut off one of his hands first!"
The subordinate with the knife immediately let out a low growl, raising his short blade high. Although he had no inner strength aura, his steady steps clearly indicated he was a skilled fighter.
It was no wonder Culinan dared to charge in alone. Culinan calmly observed his opponent. Although most of his inner strength had dissipated, it wasn't completely gone.
"Use it. The more you use your inner strength, the more you'll appreciate the power of our new achievement," the man in the gray mask murmured from afar, his eyes full of anticipation.
The subordinate closed the distance in less than ten seconds, arriving before Culinan. The short knife slashed down. Although it lacked any inner strength, the knife moved like a cleaving axe. Before the blade even reached him, the sharp whistling of the wind struck Culinan's face.
"Is this a secret technique?"
Culinan was inwardly startled. Many years ago, before he had truly begun his martial arts journey, he had heard whispers in the martial world of a very special martial art specifically for ordinary people.
This martial art could allow them to break through ordinary limits and attain the strength of a beginner master in a short period!
This martial art was known as a secret technique in the martial world.
Culinan had sought many renowned masters to learn it but had always found no leads. He even learned from an old senior that this secret technique had long been lost in China.
But now, it appeared before him!
"Who exactly are you?"
Culinan couldn't help but exclaim, but his only response was the man's cold, white short knife.
He pushed his right hand forward and withdrew his left hand to his waist. Before the gray-clothed man's knife could land, Culinan's hand had already pressed onto his lower abdomen.
The gray-clothed man's expression drastically changed. He hadn't felt any inner strength from Culinan's hand, yet the force that entered his body far exceeded his ability to withstand it.
"Pfft!"
A large mouthful of blood erupted from his mouth. Culinan, as if expecting this, dodged to the side.
"Bang."
His right hand, withdrawn to his waist, shot out instantly. At that moment, the gray-clothed man seemed to see moonlight.
Moonlight colder than ice.
The next moment, the gray-clothed man was sent flying backward. Mid-air, his eyes closed, and he met his end on the spot.
The other gray-clothed men fell into a stunned silence.
"How is this possible!"
The man in the gray mask stared intently at Culinan, then abruptly turned to another gray-clothed man.
"Go!"
The latter nodded heavily, then put away his gun and drew a short knife identical to the first man's.
"Be careful this time!"
This time, the man in the gray mask couldn't help but warn him. The subordinate immediately charged at Culinan like a rooster pumped with blood, letting out a fierce cry.
Culinan's expression remained unchanged, his gaze calmly fixed on his opponent until the short knife descended again.
It was the same motion, the same outcome. Although the gray-clothed man was on guard this time, he still underestimated Culinan's speed.
Swift as lightning, rapid as thunder, even the man in the gray mask couldn't track his movements. The gray-clothed subordinate's body was already flying backward.
"He didn't use any inner strength?"
The man in the gray mask exclaimed in shock. Although he couldn't track the movements this time either, he was certain of one thing: Culinan had not used his inner strength!
But how was that possible? How could he generate such power without inner strength?
"You all stand down!"
The masked man made a decisive move. The gray-clothed subordinates retreated several steps, their faces filled with astonishment. Even their leader was reacting this way; how could they not feel it? After all, one could clearly discern whether a technique was a secret one or not, and Culinan clearly wasn't!
And both times, it was a one-hit kill! After falling to the ground, the flying gray-clothed men's bodies had turned soft as a puddle of mud.
The masked man took a step forward, and an aura significantly stronger than Culinan's peak erupted. Hu Han, hiding nearby, instinctively felt a chill and shivered involuntarily.
"Be careful. If things look bad, run immediately!"
As the saying goes, an expert reveals their skill the moment they make a move. The masked man didn't even need to attack; Culinan could already sense the vast difference between them!
If he were at his peak, he might have had a chance to fight. But now, this was the first time he was using a reverse hand technique against an enemy of this caliber.
He lacked confidence!
"Perhaps I'll fall here today."
Culinan suddenly realized he had a death wish. It was a peculiar feeling, like enlightenment, or perhaps resignation. His previous fighting spirit was rapidly fading.
Yet, he felt no sense of danger, not even nervousness. His mind was as still as water.
Therefore, he couldn't say whether this feeling was good or bad. He could only stare intently at the masked man's movements. Without his inner strength, he couldn't even track the masked man's movements. He could only rely on his instincts to sense a fatal aura suddenly appearing to his left.
His left hand swung out quickly, but before the movement was even halfway complete, the masked man's fist landed on his face.
"Boom!"
This time, it was Culinan who flew backward. However, unlike the previous gray-clothed men, he had already dissipated the force mid-air.
Seeing Culinan take his punch squarely and remain unharmed, the masked man was momentarily stunned.
"What kind of cultivation technique is this?"
His voice carried a hint of surprise, as if he had discovered something new. However, Culinan ignored him, maintaining the posture he had been in before being struck.
Only then did the masked man notice, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"I'll see what other tricks you have."
The masked man's figure flickered again. This time, he didn't disappear entirely but rushed towards Culinan with phantom afterimages.
"Come on, unleash whatever means you have left."
The masked man chuckled and slowly raised his right hand. His movements were slow, but the oppressive pressure was unprecedentedly strong.
Although Culinan's technique was astonishing, it was not enough to pose a threat to him.